Barbie Like You've Never Seen Her Before: A Gallery of Dolls Through the Years

In 1945, Ruth Handler and her husband, Elliot, founded Mattel, Inc., the toy company that we all grew to love and cherish throughout our childhoods. To us, Mattel wasn't just a high-brow toy corporation; it was a dreamland where anything was possible.

And we all knew that dreamland had one very special "lady" who was just waiting to be our friend. She was first introduced to the world as "Barbie Millicent Roberts," but we knew her as Barbie — and she was an astronaut, a race-car driver, a chef, a librarian, a teacher, a coach, a soccer player; the list could go on forever. Her most important job, however, was being a role model to young girls everywhere — and 59 years later, she's still making a big impact on young people today.

Since the original Barbie was released on March 9, 1959, she's also been re-introduced as famous stars such as Elizabeth Taylor, Donna Karan, and Marilyn Monroe among many others. In celebration of Barbie's recent birthday, here are some of the most stylish Barbie dolls we've ever seen.